100 Ways to Be Happy

Previous episodes have described simple ways to be happier every day--and this 100th episode celebrates some of the ideas that became listener favorites

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to the Gratitude Diaries, a production of My Heart Radio. Hi.
I'm Janis Kaplan. Thanks for joining me for another episode
and another chance to think more gratefully. Today's tip know
that there are at least a hundred ways that you

(00:23):
can be happier, and they're not all that hard to find.
As I was getting ready to record today's podcast, I
realized that we are up to episode number one hundred.
I'm thrilled to have been with you for a hundred
days with a hundred ideas on how to add gratitude
to your life and be happier every day. I'm looking

(00:44):
forward to lots more. It's been particularly fun for me
to see which ideas have most resonated with you. I
do a lot of research and usually support any suggestions
I make with data and scientific studies, but I've discovered
the sometimes it's the small daily things that really strike
a chord with you. A lot of listeners, for example,

(01:07):
responded to the episode on making your bed. Most said
that they do make their bed, and they agreed that
smoothing the sheets and adjusting the duvet does give a
small sense of accomplishment. It sets you up to be
grateful for the things you can control, Even if it's
just perfectly placed pillows, it adds a small element of

(01:29):
happiness to your life and reinforces the idea that little
things do matter. Similarly, many of you responded to the
idea of adding more color to your life and the
findings that bright colors can bring joy and make you
feel a little more grateful. I pointed out that the
most popular sofa color is gray, so maybe now is

(01:52):
the time to cheer up that gray sofa with some
brightly colored pillows. I was delighted to get potographs from listeners,
one who had a bright yellow sofa and another a
bright red sofa. Thanks for sharing them. They cheered my
day and supported the research showing that bright colors can

(02:14):
activate the pleasure centers of your brain. A lot of
you gardeners strongly supported the episode about flowers as mood
elevators and stress reducers, and the study that showed that
flowers have an immediate impact on happiness. People who receive
flowers find it makes them less depressed and gives them

(02:35):
higher levels of gratitude, and flowers can continue to boost
your spirits for many days after you get them. I
had some personal proof of that when just before Thanksgiving,
I gave a short talk via zoom to the wonderful
San Diego based nonprofit called CARS. It's a group which
helps other nonprofit organizations through vehicle donation programs. CARS has

(03:01):
returned more than three hundred million dollars to its charitable partners,
and it's led by a gracious and very grateful CEO
named Howard Pearl. He sets an amazing tone for the organization,
which everyone feels. I give a lot of talks, but
the comments in the zoom chat section on this one

(03:21):
were overwhelming in their kindness and appreciation and supportiveness. Howard
Pearl also makes sure that his actions support his good spirit.
The next day, I got a beautiful basket of roses
from CARS, and yes, it made me very happy. Expressing
gratitude in any way really does have an impact, and

(03:43):
when it comes with particularly gorgeous flowers, the good feelings last.
Those flowers, by the way, also lasted. I'm not suggesting
that there's anything magical about gratitude, but two weeks later
the roses were still beautiful and still making me smile
every time I looked at them. They're finally fading a bit,

(04:04):
but I've decided to keep them as a dried arrangement.
It will be a little reminder of how much impact
people can have on each other and on the world
when they're driven by graciousness and gratitude. A lot of
you also liked the episode on creating things and the
research that shows that when you make something yourself, you

(04:24):
just like it better and value it more. The professors
who did the most striking work on this subject called
it the Ikea effect, finding that people who built a
simple project from Ikea liked it more than those who
got one already built, and when people were taught to
make something like origami themselves, they valued it much more

(04:46):
highly than those pieces made by a pro I think
that research is particularly good news for this time of year,
as a reminder that we can find gratitude and happiness
in the simple things we create for ourselves and as
gifts to others. If you can make a gingerbread cookie house,
my hat is off to you, and please go for it.

(05:09):
It takes time, but it will be worth it. If
it's beyond your talents, don't worry. You can also get
a similar psychological boost from something simple like baking and
decorating any cookies, even the easiest ones, like I do.
The simple fact of doing and creating makes you happy
and grateful. I hope many of the ideas in these

(05:31):
past hundred days have helped you feel better as you
start each day, and as we continue forward together, we'll
find more and more approaches to joy and happiness. Thanks
for joining me today. If you're a new listener, you
have episodes ready for you to catch up on any time.
If you're a regular listener, thanks so much for sticking

(05:55):
with me. I do appreciate it, and we will continue
making every day a little brighter. If you have been
enjoying this podcast, please do share it with friends and
you can rate and review it on Apple Podcasts. It
helps others find the podcast and together we can keep
spreading the message of happiness and gratitude. Thank you and

(06:17):
have a great day. The Gratitude Diaries is a production
of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from I heart Radio,
visit the I heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever
you get your favorite shows.